Hunter X Chara
by Phantomdream
Summary: When the confrontation with Easter doesn't go so well, Amu decided to leave for the main continent. She'd do anything for her girls, Cross oceans and climb mountains. She knows it will be tough but she won't give up! Her first step? To become a hunter. "Wait for me. Ran, Miki, Su, Dia!"
1. Hell X Disappearance X Decision

_Okay so this story is not my priority, just so you know._

 _Personally I like the odd crossover combination. This one was a bit hard to set up but I quite like where it's going. Hope you enjoy this intro._

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 _ **Jigoku X**_ _ **Shissō X Ketsuron**_

Hell.

That's the word it all came down to after they'd defeated Easter.

When all the guardians went to confront Easter they had all been prepared to come face to face with its leader. What had not been expected though was for Easter's leader to have been nothing more than a small lonely boy called Hikaru. Everything they'd fought against for the last two years had apparently been orchestrated by a single boy. But of course things could never be that simple.

Hikaru had lost his heart and ability to feel, only yearning for the completion of one thing. A stone, a one of a kind shiny stone. Everything, all their pain, hurt and troubles had been nothing more than the simple quest of a lonely boy. At the time Amu really didn't know whether she was supposed to be mad, upset, maybe even sad but for some reason all she could feel was a strange sort of calmness. Numbness even.

The little boy had looked at them with such straightforward eyes that she couldn't help but be drawn to them. The blond haired boy couldn't have been very old he barely reached her shoulder in height yet his eyes told another story. Amu could see the little boy was missing something, he showed neither fear nor any sign of emotion even when multiple X-eggs attacked them all. The lack of fear was almost unsettling to watch. It couldn't be healthy to live like that.

The answer to Amu's confusion followed quickly after. Hikaru's grandfather, Hoshina Kazuomi, was the real cause of everything.

Hikaru's grandfather was obsessed with Easter and as it turned out the man was both jealous and controlling. Ikuto's father, Tsukiyomi Aruto, would have been the one to lead Easter and Kazuomi was very jealous about that little fact. After Aruto disappeared, leaving Utau and Ikuto on their own, Kazuomi forced Hoshina Souko to marry him. It was through this method that he took control of Easter and became the stepfather of both Utau and Ikuto.

Ikuto soon turned into his next target.

The man so obsessed with Easter wanted his grandson to take over. Ikuto was forced to do his bidding and the teen became withdrawn to protect what was precious to him. With another threat out of the way he pushed Hikaru to start preparing for his future. It was his belief that Hikaru couldn't be happier than taking over his company. What the man hadn't realized was that in doing so he was slowly killing his grandson inside. The boy was unable to make friends, never having any contact with people and was cut off from the world. He couldn't barely even understand that aching feeling in his chest every time he saw happy families on the television and kids playing together outside.

The boy's first feelings of happiness came in the form of a jewel, well really it was just a shiny stone. To Hikaru though it was one of the most beautiful things ever. Hikaru could forget the strange ache in his chest whenever he looked at the pretty stone. Soon he was collecting every stone that would glimmer in the sun.

After a while though even all the shiny stones were no longer enough for him to feel better. Sure he didn't feel as bad as in the beginning but the feelings he'd had when he found that first stone were slowly fading. It was then that he met a strange man at the side of a river. The tall blonde haired man told him a story about the hearts egg. An egg that could shine so brightly that it could fulfill the wishes of anyone. Of course Hikaru declared that story to be ridiculous, but he couldn't help but think of it. Slowly he started to yearn for that egg, maybe a glimmer that bright could make that ache in his chest fade away again.

It was with that desire that he made his first decision as the head of Easter, promising the company employees a successful career should they capture this egg successfully.

Amu could clearly see that little boy in her mind, throwing away his emotions and feelings just so he wouldn't have to deal the rejections from his grandfather. Sitting in the corner of his room everyday staring at the stones just so he would feel slightly better. Watching the screen of the television trying to figure out why seeing families and friends made his chest ache so badly. Amu could picture it all as the boy explained his confusions and desires.

It hurt to watch Amu to watch a little boy describe all that unfazed.

And yet things continued to get worse.

Hoshina Kazuomi wasn't the man he used to be any longer. Kazuomi had become so obsessed that he started to lose sight of himself and what he had been aiming for. He became blind to Hikaru's plight, became blind to the terrible sins he'd orchestrated and became blind to so much more. The man could no longer see the boundaries of his actions and Amu could see no remorse as Hikaru talked to them all.

She could feel a sliver of anger, maybe even hatred as she saw the disappointed look on Hikaru face when the boy had looked up for some form of acknowledgement from his grandfather.

Kazuomi gave the boy nothing. If anything there was a strange glint in his eyes as he slowly took a few steps back. Reaching into his pocket the man pulled out a small remote control before pressing the button on it. Several machines that seemed awfully akin to stereo's rose up from the building. Before Amu or any of the others could even begin to react Kazuomi had already pressed another button on the remote. Soon they had all fallen to their knees trying to cover their ears unsuccessfully. The sound being made by several of the machines was horribly loud and almost unbearable. Amu could barely see, the noise was making her extremely dizzy. Ikuto who had been standing next to her was curled up entirely trying to do anything he could to block the noise. She could imagine this hurting him a lot more thanks to his cat like senses.

It took about three minutes for the sound to stop echoing across the building but they had to hold back their sighs of relief. The moment their vision cleared they could see the entire sky covered by X-eggs and X-chara's. Where did they even come from? Panic rose within her, that last fight had already cost them most of their energy!

"Now, you know what to do!" Kazuomi yelled. His voice was odd though and his eyes had a crazed look. They weren't focused at all. "Take these troublesome guardians down so we can get the embryo for gozen!" Amu looked at her friends. Yaya was trembling in fear, Amu could actually see the girl's knees begin to give out on her.

Rima and Nagi were barely standing, having to support one another. Tadase was trying to stay strong and hold everything together but even Amu could see the doubt and disbelief in his eyes. How were they going to get through this! Utau and Kukai were standing behind Ikuto, each holding a grimace on their faces trying to think of ways to solve this situation. In the end the X-eggs and X-chara's went for the attack.

It was a harsh battle and it didn't end well.

There were too many of them and the guardians were quickly overpowered. It was for the first time that they actually realized just how dangerous everything could be. That this wasn't a game, that things could actually go drastically wrong. That their lives were really at stake.

Yaya, Tadase, Rima and Nagi were the first. They couldn't bear it anymore and made a temporary retreat. Yaya had fainted when it all became too much and Tadase tried to drag her away from the fight.

Kukai was standing by Utau's side no matter the consequences and they were immediately surrounded. The number of X-eggs and X-chara's had increased after four of them left the battle. Amu who had been watching back then had cried out in fear as she saw them surrounded by hundreds of eggs, it was only Ikuto barely holding onto her that stopped her from rushing over to them. It was almost similar to a movie, Kukai holding Utau one last time as they prepared for their last moment together. The next time she saw them they were covered in wounds with their hearts eggs shattered next to them. El, Il and Daisuke nowhere to be found.

Amu had collapsed onto her knees and stared at her best friends. Tears slowly slipping down her face, before looking down at her hands. She could see, feel even, that they were shaking. Fear, she was terrified. It was only with that realization that she couldn't quite keep it together. A cry of despair and pain made its way through the battlefield. Around her she could feel her friends in the same predicaments but she was unable to do anything. It was only when a small hand touched Amu's cheek that she could feel a semblance of herself returning. Three more small hands stroked her cheek before she could feel the tension slowly seep out of her shoulders for a bit. It was only then that their voices finally broke through the haze of her mind.

"Amu-chan wake up! Everyone needs you!" Her eyes cleared and returned to their usual bright honey color as she slowly returned back to reality. Yelling into her ear next to her was Miki. The usually calm and centered chara was heavily panicked and was yelling her everything at Amu. But when she went to face her chara's she could only freeze up in shock and fear. Standing in front of her was Ikuto, as Black Lynx defended her from every X-egg and X-chara that were attacking them. Most of his Black Lynx outfit was ripped and his body was littered with wounds.

This time though instead of retreating back into her mind as she felt the pain seep deep into her heart. She gathered together a heartbreaking amount of determination. With renewed energy Amu stood up in one move and immediately changed from her usual uniform to a transformation with Miki who had seemed so desperate to do something. To help Yoru.

Not more than a few moments had passed when she had entirely eradicated the group of eggs. She hadn't given the eggs a second thought as she went through them protecting one of her most precious people. It was only after she finally had the room to get to Ikuto and have him moved that he realized what she'd done.

Amu had singlehandedly destroyed all the dreams the children here had and she would probably never be able to forget it.

Back then it had seemed to her as if nothing could have been worse at that moment.

She would once be proven wrong though.

Ikuto had been heavily wounded and she left him sheltered at a small bush she'd found while jumping around in a desperate attempt to get away. Leading the eggs away she flew back to the square they had been on earlier. It wouldn't do to have the eggs cause a disturbance somewhere else, though she hadn't been thinking quite as clearly back then. The only thing that had been on her mind was to get Hoshina Kazuomi to stop. Anything to bring this man down. To protect everyone.

She landed in the middle of the square facing the man as the eggs were approaching her from behind.

"Hoshina Kazuomi, stop this right now!" She yelled frustration seeping into her voice. Almost at the exact same moment a shiver in the air around her presented itself and the X-eggs ran into some kind of invisible wall at full speed. Slightly shocked Amu looked down at her hand feeling the power rushing around her.

'Amu-chan they're barriers! They responding to you, I think we made them.' Miki's voice resounded through her ears. She could feel the connection between her and the girls getting stronger as she focused on the barrier in front of her. Dia, Su and Ran all seemed to be watching anxiously from the sides and she send them a reassuring feeling, 'everything is going to be fine'. The sliver of doubt that Amu had was buried as she smiled at them before turning back to the perpetrator. The man in question only laughed in a way that had her think he wasn't entirely in the right mind. Not that anything he did made her think so.

"Hinamori Amu! The one bug in all of my plans. I should have just gotten rid of you ages ago, together with that useless step son of mine." The disgust rolled of his tongue and Amu almost cringed at it. "The only thing that idiot was useful for was keeping Utau under my thumb and he failed to do even that."

He kept on talking and belittling Ikuto in the worst ways. With every word Amu could feel the anger build up inside her. After listening to the man for a few minutes she finally couldn't handle it anymore. "How dare you! Ikuto did everything you asked, despite not even wanting to he listened! You treated him like trash and all you have to say is rubbish like this!" Once again tears streamed down her face but this time they were in frustration. Why…! Why did Ikuto and Utau have to grow up with such a.. such a horrible person!

Hoshina Kazuomi didn't seem to appreciate her talking back though, if his face darkening considerably was anything to go by. It was only after a few moments that a smirk slowly spread on the man's face. "Ooh you can say whatever you want but this time I will get what I want." Without another moment he held up his hand holding the dumpty key Ikuto was supposed to have.

The guardians had never figured out how the humpy dumpty pair worked but she'd always thought it to be something special. Those thoughts though were pushed aside forever as the key started to shine brightly, the same way it had done for Ikuto weeks back. A few seconds later she could feel the humpty lock on her chest reacting as well. But this time instead of the familiar warmth she'd come to associate with the lock she could only feel a deep pain shoot through her as the lock burned intensily against her chest.

Her knees gave out as she fell to the ground from the pain. Her transformation was undone and her Chara's immediately rushed towards her. "Amu-chan!?" Su was the first to gush in her usual worried motherly tone. Amu though didn't or rather couldn't answer as she tried to keep the pain from overwhelming her. The locket wouldn't leave her neck for some reason.

"I suppose you do not know what that locket means do you girl?" Kazuomi said in a demeaning way as if she were stupid for not knowing. She tried to glare but the pain spiked suddenly and she gasped painfully. "The locket and key are a pair as I'm sure you know, but there is a difference. The key isn't destined to be with one person, the locket on the other hand is. Now normally if the pair is together nothing much will happen, but the key and the locket are known to have influence over one another." Amu frowned, maybe that was why she'd often felt strange when the key was close by. "But together with the embryo like now I hold the stronger power." The man cackled disturbingly and Amu could only grit her teeth as another wave of pain flashed through her. "I have you guardians right where I want you. Now embryo make them disappear!" Amu's face drained of color as the special egg started to glow brightly. Unable to do anything she tried to shield herself when four tiny figures gathered in front of her.

Her head moved to follow the small movements rapidly as she recognized. Reaching out in a last effort to stop them she barely brushed Dia's hand. The little chara turned to smile at her faintly. "Remember Amu-chan, I know you felt it just before. As long as you feel the connection we are a part of you. Believe in who you can be Amu." The last part was said softly as her four little Chara's were buried in light.

"Noooo!" she yelled desperately. Not only were Utau, Kukai and Ikuto hurt, now she'd lose a part of her heart she'd come to treasure so deeply. Amu didn't know if she could go on without her partners there with her on the way.

It was only when the light finally calmed down that a sliver of hope gathered in her heart. Floating in front of the embryo were four eggs, specifically her Chara's eggs. The four eggs were gathered together and the embryo swallowed them whole before flying away as it had always one before. Amu though had calmed down a little, she could still feel a strong connection with the girls and it didn't seem to be disappearing anytime soon. They were still alive!

"No! the Embryo! This wasn't supposed to happen." The man's voice turned Amu's attention back to the scene and she looked around her. Kazuomi's wish hadn't been clear enough. Many things from around them had disappeared, pieces of walls, chairs and benches. Anything that was nearby could've been taken but nothing was targeted specifically.

She was relieved to see that even Utau's and Kukai's wounds had disappeared. It appeared that the embryo had mostly done benevolent things and Amu was grateful for it. Though when she thought of how it could have been she filled up with rage. Turning her glare upon the perpetrator she could feel the connection growing stronger until it unleashed a flood inside her. Feeling the familiar energy she stood up pushing away the extreme agony tearing at her body.

"Hop, Step, Jump." Flying through the air she neared the man and punched him in the face as hard as she could. Meanwhile she grabbed the key from his hands and jumped to move away. "Drew, Draw, Drawn." Her giant paintbrush twirled itself around the man's body. Black strokes of paint surrounded him and tying him to the ground. Kazuomi himself wasn't much of a threat, it had always been the resources he had.

Walking over to the bound man she kicked him hard and as he doubled over she grabbed him by the shirt. As a twelve, almost thirteen, year old girl she couldn't really pull him up much but enough to do the trick. Glaring at him intensively she snarled at him. "If you ever come harm anyone precious to me you don't want to know what I'll do!" With a last vicious kick she walked away leaving him bound as she called the police for an anonymous tip. On the way she rushed over to Kukai and Utau who she noticed were waking up slowly.

It was amusing and extremely calming to her nerves to watch Utau yelp as she woke up way to close to Kukai only to end up staring at the boy. When Kukai woke up he noticed this and teased the girl. As usual Amu could feel herself relax some more as she watched two of her precious friends bicker, it just seemed so normal and calming.

"Sorry to bother you two lovebirds." She snickered softly when they both became red in the face. Not giving them a chance to protest she pointed her thumb at Kazuomi and then at Ikuto. "The asshole is going to get picked up by the police in a few minutes and we need to move Ikuto if you guys could help." The tiredness in her voice was easily noticeable and both of her friends looked worried. The high amount of wounds on her body and the limb she was now walking with didn't help the matter. Thankfully though they both decided to interrogate her at a more appropriate time.

Amu watched as they all Chara changed and swiftly moved the Ikuto from behind the bushes back to his apartment. Distractedly she alternated between watching all three of her friends worriedly and the small wings on her hands and feet. Utau had promised to sing a healing song for Ikuto so she wasn't too worried but now she was freaking out a bit about her girls. She could still feel the connection with them and it was as strong as ever. Even her powers seemed to be fully operational. She already missed them though and if she had anything to say she would get them back!

As Ikuto woke up later that evening they discussed everything that had happened. It turned out that the rest of the guardians had been too overwhelmed and opted out of the fight. They had each spoken with one another on the phone and they had apologized for backing out. Amu couldn't say she didn't feel betrayed but she didn't hate them for it. The entire situation was terrifying and Amu could understand their decision. She wasn't quite as sure she would be able to trust them as before though, it really hurt that they left them like that. Especially when she didn't know whether Utau and Kukai had.. yeah.

Kukai and Utau had dragged every detail from her mouth about what had happened and they had been incredibly nice about it. By now though all of this fighting felt strangely normal to her. The stress she usually dealt with and having to overcome many dangerous situation was nothing new to her. Of course this situation had definitely been in another league entirely compared to what they had encountered before. Oddly enough though Amu didn't feel too bothered by it all. Well at least less than she probably should have been.

Kukai and Utau seemed to be slightly distressed when she confessed to feeling that way but why wouldn't she? The last two years she had been fighting to cleanse the heart eggs of people. She had been the only one who could do so at the time and there were usually more than just one or two people who doubted their dreams and ambitions. She confessed to keeping quiet about a lot of fights outside of their usual club situations. Utau nodded her head in understanding, ever since she was able to cleanse eggs her time had been filled up and she only did it part time so the amount Amu had to clean up was probably much larger.

Kukai had expressed his worries about the dumpty key. He didn't want Amu to be hurt by every person that got their grubby hands on the key. With what Kazuomi had revealed it turned out to be a very possible consequence. The lock wouldn't leave her neck for some mysterious reason and the key was still very sensitive. If anyone else touched it she felt very uncomfortable, no pain but an extreme discomfort. Ikuto had expressed the same worries when he woke up and had even pressured her into keeping the key with her at all times. She didn't know how long the influence from the embryo would last but hopefully not for very long.

Like this weeks passed by again with Ikuto slowly healing and all of them reclaiming a semblance of normalcy in their lives. The other guardians had come by several times to apologize but Amu expressed her regret and told them her feelings. The others had been shocked but understood and when she told them that she needed some time to settle her feelings and they all left silently. More than a little depressed. Amu had felt guilty but didn't regret her actions.

Hikaru as it turned out was still heir to the company despite everything but without a guardian the boy was no longer directly in charge. He was send to another relative where he would stay for a while. When the police officers talked to the little boy it became obvious in their eyes that something wasn't right.

Hikaru was taken to a psychologist and diagnosed as emotionally unstable. Hoshina Kazuomi's treatment of his grandson had advanced into psychological abuse. While the boy was in no way crazy, mad or psychotic in any way, he was definitely not in touch with his feelings and didn't know how to handle any outside stimuli. His social skills were minimal and he had trouble understanding all things that could not be rationalized.

Hoshina Kazuomi was arrested for destruction of public or private property, abuse and combined with his mental instabilities causing erratic behavior. He was locked away in a facility. It was actually thanks to the man's arrest that Hikaru was taken care of properly and put in a family where he'd be cared for. Amu had been very relieved when she discovered this.

A few days after Ikuto had fully recovered Amu, Ikuto, Kukai and Utau had gathered together. They had all briefly expressed their own doubts and ambitions for the future but now that everything was over they wanted to discuss them.

As it turned out Ikuto was planning on travelling the world and looking for his and Utau's father. Utau was taking a long tour around the country and Kukai was going to help her on the tour. Amu made the hardest decision of them all.

When she first pinpointed the location of her Hearts eggs she realized that she couldn't leave the situation like this. She could accurately locate them and feel them but when she had first found a definite location her heart had sunk with disappointment and doubt.

Area D,

otherwise known as the dark continent, a forbidden area. The town Amu lived in was actually just barely on the edge between the world where humans lived and the dark continent. Amu supposed that's why character transformations and the like might actually possible. Or maybe the reason they were common in this region. Strange things happened in the dark continent. She'd heard of nen before, that it was a strange type of energy that every human had the possibility of learning. Heart eggs though only seemed to be a reoccurring problem in the areas near the dark continent.

The dark continent was the name for everything that surrounded the human world, Mobius. It was strictly forbidden and extremely guarded. There was only one way to even get close to being allowed to enter and that is by becoming a highly ranked Hunter. And there lay the problem.

Leaving Japan was similar to leaving a highly guarded area. The chances were she would never be able to get back in without a hunters license. Something that is said to be quite the challenge.

Ikuto, Utau and Kukai had cautioned her about this and made sure she understood every risk she would be taking. Kukai's parents had already begun moving out of the country and the teen was very up to date as to the procedures. Ikuto himself was going to search within Japan first before spreading out.

Amu had made her final decision swiftly, she wouldn't leave her chara's all alone, she was going out to search for them!

She'd discussed it with her parents and was incredibly sad when they all but forbid it. Of course she understood why they would but it hurt even more when they wouldn't even let her explain her reason for wanting this. She tried to for days to get the opportunity to explain but her dad just wouldn't hear it. Even weeks after with various attempts they wouldn't listen. Midori had tried to once but her dad had firmly told his wife that their daughter needed a time out.

It was then that Amu decided she had to go. The short isolation from her parents had made her realize just how much she needed to do this, just how much she needed to get them back. She would get them back no matter what it would take and the first step to doing so would be entering the Hunter Exam and becoming a Hunter.


	2. New acquaintances & Kaijinmaru

_Chapter 2_

 _New acquaintances & Kaijinmaru_

Thus the hunter exam became her first destination. She still couldn't believe how incredibly lucky she'd been when boarding the boat. It had taken her awhile to gather the information she needed to find where the boat to the hunter exam would leave from. Amu had been proud of herself when she'd found it, only to be late the first day. Lukso province, the place the boat would leave from, had been surprisingly close to her home. It had only taken half a day to travel there. Amu had been relieved to find out that she wouldn't have to travel to the mainland first to travel to the hunter exam. That would have taken far too much time and effort.

Instead she could take the boat from Lukso province at one specific time and place each year to participate. Boarding the boat headed for the hunter exam meant you forfeited all rights for a safe journey. One was entirely responsible for their own health but the method had its own benefits, instead of having to go through the paperwork to leave the outer ring of Mobius she could leave without her parents' permission. While she did feel bad about that Amu was determined and wouldn't go back on her decision.

A new obstacle had fairly quickly gotten in her way though. In particular that this boat had left about five seconds ago and she was still standing on the edge of the harbour. Really how many people managed to get into situations like this?

Well apparently fate loved to play with her.

Not one to give up so easily she whispered, "Hop, step, jump." under her breath before jumping up into the sky and landing cleanly onto one of the lower masts. Gracefully making her way down she tapped down onto the deck next to captain who was standing on deck as if nothing strange had happened. The rest of the crew and people on deck though didn't seem to share his view on the world and were staring at her. In a manner almost as if she was some kind of strange creature. Though in a way Amu supposed she wasn't quite normal anymore, not really a creature though, more like an oddity. Having one less person staring at her did actually manage to calm her nerves slightly, she opted to focused on him instead. Gathering the courage her outer chara always displayed with ease she turned to the older man.

She bowed slightly to the man in respect before returning to face him. "I'm sorry I was late. Is it still alright for me to travel along?" She asked politely and kept eye contact as the old man seemed to evaluate her. After a few moments of silence he gave her a stern nod before turning around and moving inside. That seemed to be the sign for everything to start moving again as the shippers turned to do their work and the other candidates went about their own things.

According to the provided info this ship had only left two days earlier from another harbor which meant they probably had a long way to go. Deciding to get comfortable she went to sit down in one of the nets and gazed out over the ocean. She couldn't help but find it too quiet though even despite the boisterous laughter of the older candidates and the knocking of feet on the deck. She missed the high pitched voices that used to accompany her on every thought and sight. Not wanting to get sucked into any too depressing thoughts she picked up her ipod and put her headphones on. Turning up the music she relaxed under the heavenly weather keeping out of the way of everyone else.

Several hours later she was suddenly shaken out of her relaxed state when someone moved to stand next to her. "Aren't ya a little too young to be doin this?" a voice said from beside her. Opening her eyes she could see one of the sailors that had been standing behind the captain when she'd spoken to him. He wasn't too old probably somewhere in his twenties. He had a slight beard and eyes that spoke of danger yet gentleness. She could tell this man wasn't someone to be messed with but he was someone that could be trusted. Though she supposed most people on this boat were like that. The captain seemed to be a good man with an eye for people. Maybe that was why he was one of the people chosen to escort them to the hunter exam location, he might even be selecting people if that was the case.

"Hello?" A hand flew passed in front of her and Amu blushed slightly when she realized she'd been thinking too hard. She probably would've apologized to someone she knew but without her chara's or any familiarity in her surroundings she reverted to her cool and spicy character with worrying ease. "So what?" She asked bluntly. The man seemed taken aback by the answer but only grinned cheeckily in return. "Well I suppose it's ya choice but I suggest not attractin too much attention." He waved around in an attempt to make her look around. When she did it was obvious how many people were trying to show how superior they were to one another. The moment she realized this she scoffed. The man only rose an eyebrow in reaction to that. "What?!" She snapped slightly and the man held up his hands in a placating manner. "Sheesh temper much?" He stated. Her eyes softened a bit when he said that and she sighed. "Sorry, I'm a bit tense."

"And let me guess it's got nothing to do with this ship?" He asked dryly. She nodded and looked him in the eyes. "You're right, it's something else. But that's none of your business. Anyway I was thinking just now, your captain has a good eye for people." The entire time she talked the sailor in front of her hadn't stopped smiling once. At the end he opened his mouth when a loud bell rang through the air.

"ANY OF YA THAT WANT LUNCH BETTER COME DOWN HERE TA GET IT!" The captain yelled before he went down deck again. The man turned to her and held out his hat. "That's my cue too, the name's Marcel by the way. The trip will probably take weeks so I'll speak to ya again later." Before she could even introduce herself he was gone. Though in a way it was relieving, she didn't really fancy introducing herself to a total stranger she'd probably never see again after this trip anyway.

Slowly moving along the deck she made her way down to the desk where food and water was being distributed. As expected there were no luxurious foods, mostly just a bottle of water, some bread and a few biscuits. She took a basket and made sure stay out of the way of the people who were trying to get more by bumping into everyone. She made her way of to the side and watched the candidates fight for the food and who would get it. It was almost like watching a group of Neanderthals fighting for their piece of meat. She would have likened it to a group of X-eggs but then she pitied the children they were born from. This routine continued for about two weeks as they travelled. In the morning the boat would stop at some harbour for about an hour or so to stock up and pick up new candidates. She would take every opportunity to stretch her legs and explore. Then in the afternoon she'd talk to Marcel for a bit before grabbing something to eat and watching the savages fight for their food. Only one afternoon during that time was different as she watched all the men fight about their piece of bread.

"Disgusting isn't it. I would expect humanity to be slightly more civilized but I suppose these men don't have the common sense needed for it." The tone was very polite yet the words.. not so. She turned to face the owner of the voice and was surprised to find someone not much older than she was. He was still in his teens and was probably quite small for his age, which she estimated to be around sixteen. He wore loose white pants and a kind of shirt that would fit right in with the clothes worn by martial artist, with a loose tunic like dress over it. The tunic was mostly blue and yellow with some very intricate patterns. Overall it looked quite nice but she would never say that out loud. After a few seconds of studying him she turned back to the group of men. "Yeah, they haven't learned a thing in the two weeks I've been here." She scoffed a bit while saying this.

"You've been here for two weeks?" There was a slight undertone of shock in the teens voice. She nodded her head slightly in agreement, "I was one of the first groups to be on board." She kept her answers short and vague but he had probably picked up on that as he asked where came from. "I live on the outer layer of Lukso province." Once more keeping it vague, she wasn't going to tell a total stranger where she lived but he was polite enough and they were just holding a conversation. When she told him her answer his gasp didn't escape her notice, neither did his red eyes when she looked at them. Instead of recoiling away in fear Amu just stared at them for a long time. Not really caring what anyone though. She found them to be similar to rubies, they had the most beautiful shine. They were also a little similar to Iru's eyes, though much brighter than the little devil's. After a few more moments she turned her gaze away from him before walking away.

She wouldn't have minded staring some more but that would have been plain rude besides she was sure her shy side would turn up at some unneeded moment again. She turned around a corner into the hallway that led to the deck outside. She was about to sit down at her usual spot when an idea popped up into her head. It was definitely worth a try and if it didn't work she could always just sit in her usual spot. She turned around abruptly and made her way down the hall before turning the other way. Finally when she reached the door to the steering room she stopped. Considering the captain had yet to return she sat down and waited patiently. It would be rude to enter the steering room uninvited.

After about ten minutes or so the captain came walking back, having watched the food being distributed, when he noticed her. He kept walking until he was standing in front of the door and turned towards her raising one eyebrow.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Amu stood up and gave him a short polite bow, it wouldn't do not to be polite to the captain, her mother would have her head otherwise. "I wanted to ask you a few things captain." The man nodded patiently. "Well first of all I was wondering on whether we will be arriving anytime soon. I quite like the silence of the ocean but most of the company kind of ruins it." She put it quite bluntly but made sure to stress the part where 'most' of the company ruins it and not all, he was the captain after all.

The man stroked his hand on his beard as he thought for a bit. "I suppose it will not take much longer than a few more days. And your other questions?" Amu nodded thoughtfully, "Thank you, my other question was whether I could sit in the crow's nest?" her seconds question had him raise his eyebrows once more but this time it was more of a curiosity. "I just want to relax for a bit but the other candidates keep bothering everyone and it's annoying. I won't bother anyone." The entire conversation she'd kept up her cool persona, it had probably become some sort of defence mechanism by now. Maybe it had to do with the fact that neither her friends nor her Chara's were there to warn her or tell her not to do so. She had after all grown up hiding behind this persona most of her life.

The man nodded slightly before turning to walk into the cabin. With another short bow she turned away and made her way back up to the deck and this time into the crow's nest. The view was definitely more spectacular up there. She could see far over onto the ocean and the occasional boat passing by was spotted almost immediately. Wrapping her black jacket around her more tightly she sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to wear her school uniform. She had plenty of cute clothes and things she liked to wear but she'd decided they would only get dirty and her uniform was made for long term use. Besides it made her look a little more intimidating and wearing shorts under them posed no problem during fights. She only had one or two more outfits with her in her backpack together with other things she'd need. The rest would have to be bought on the trip, it's a good thing she had bank account that had almost never been used. She supposed hardly having any friends to buy things with had helped thin out her spending habits. Without noticing she started to drift of listening to the wind blow and the rocking rhythm of the boat.

The next time she woke up it was entirely dark. Apparently not being able to see even your hands in front of your face really startles you when you first wake up. Amu had to calm herself not to freak out and took a few deep breaths. It was only once she was calm that the lights of the deck came to her notice. Briefly wondering how long she'd been out she moved to climb out of the crow's nest and down to the deck. Within several smooth movements she'd made it down and was walking to get inside. It was getting a little too cold for her liking.

"Hey, where have you been?" A voice she'd gotten to know for a bit made her turn around. Marcel stood of to the side where he'd been talking to few others that worked on the boat. It didn't escape her notice that they looked entirely uninterested in her but seemed to find it strange Marcel would talk to her. Odd.

"The Crow's nest." She stated absently. Marcel whistled loudly in surprise while the other two men just watched with slightly more interest than before. "How did you get up there?" Amu rose an eyebrow at the slightly obvious question. "I Climbed." She deadpanned slightly but when Marcel continued to stare with a face that said 'you know what I mean.' She sighed. "I asked the captain." Despite the dismissing tone Marcel smiled and chuckled for a bit. The man was so relaxed about everything that Amu couldn't help but let some of her cool and spiciness go, as her classmates would have said. "What I really meant is that most of the time the captain doesn't let people wander around his ship. Finds it disrespectful." Amu nodded, she could respect that. There's no way she'd let anyone wander in her room without her supervision, well everyone except for that perverted cat, Utau and Kukai. The thought of Ikuto, Utau and Kukai made a smile grown on her face. She wondered how they were each doing. Maybe she should call them next time they went onto land?

"Ah! You smiled!" Marcel's voice made her jump as she was pulled back to reality. When his words registered a red blush spread on her face and she scowled to hide it. It seemed though that each men had already noticed it when they started laughing merrily. "Marcel that is so adorable where did you find this little firecracker?" One of the men who had been standing in the back asked the other playfully. The ridiculous nickname only caused Amu to heat up further in annoyance. Why did all grownups like teasing her anyway. Ikuto, though he wasn't even an adult yet, and every single adult other than her dad did it. "Shut up." She managed to get out but her wavering voice didn't really sound all that intimidating and only caused the men to smile further. Marcel gave her another smile, "You really are quite the firecracker though. I bet you haven't had any dinner yet do you want to come with us?" The sudden turn of events had her in for a loop but she was hungry and did want to gather some more information on a couple of things. Thus she nodded before being led inside.

The further she got inside the boat the more practical it became. There were no luxurious chandeliers or carpets and the rooms weren't furnished with expensive things. No the entire boat was made out of just wood but it cozy and strong. It looked like the kind of place you could be sure you were safe in. after walking for a few minutes they finally turned the corner and entered the captain quarters, or at least a private place for everyone that worked on this boat. Amu walked with Marcel nervously and unsure on whether she was even supposed to be here. The reassurances that Marcel send her though were both that, reassurances, and made her want to put up a strong front.

"Captain we've got a guest joining us tonight!" his tone sounded as though he was very sure of himself and very pleased with himself as well. The captain and other crew members only raised their head to see what the ruckus is all about before becoming slightly more interested. It seemed that it was normal for Marcel to come bouncing in with announcements and usual they didn't seem to be all that important. "I brought Amu-chan to visit us!" He pushed her into the room and she stumbled a bit before coming to a standstill. When she finally regained her balance she almost lost it to all the eyes staring at her. Almost instinctively her posture straightened and she turned her honey coloured glare up full power. "What? Never seen a girl stumble before?" She barked out of habit. Most men coughed to hide their embarrassment at being caught but plenty of them just rose an eyebrow in surprise. The captain only gave a slight scoff but the man had done that on several occasions by now and she couldn't really see it as something entirely negative.

Marcel's smile only seemed to get bigger as they made their way through the group and sat down behind a table. She was pretty much forced to sit next to him at the same table as the captain. She didn't complain much though the moment her eye met the food sitting innocently on the table. Without even noticing a bit drool crept down her mouth as Amu saw the appetizing dinner sitting on the table. "You can grab something to eat you know, it's why I dragged you here!" Marcel stated. Wanting to stay polite she looked at the captain for confirmation and got it when he nodded slightly. Without waiting for another moment she dug into the food on her table and dropped it on her plate. Laughter ran throughout the cabin as dinner officially started. It wasn't like anything she had ever encountered before. Food was being thrown through the room, people were fighting about a piece of meat that had been stolen from their plates and despite it all everyone was smiling. Nobody seemed to find the scene odd in the slightest and even the usually stoic captain had a small smile on his face as he watched his crew dance around.

But despite the almost disgusting manners Amu was enjoying herself more than she had been the last few weeks. The food was absolutely delicious, the group welcomed her unconditionally and despite their vulgar tendencies they managed to make everyone laugh. They spend the entire evening partying and having fun until Amu could swear she would be sleeping for days to come.

And sleep she did, it wasn't for days though. When she woke up, half the crew had left and were back on deck. The other half though were suffering from alcohol induced headaches and weren't actually capable of working. One thing that didn't escape her notice was how despite having fallen asleep on the ground she was now sitting against the wall wrapped in a warm blanket with her backpack by her side. She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes trying to wake up. Slowly standing up she folded the blanket neatly and placed it on one of the benches. Afterwards she picked up her bag and stretched her body before silently leaving the room and closing the door. The captain really was nice to let them rest after such a night but wouldn't he be short on hands? Making up her mind she walked towards the steering room and knocked politely on the door.

"Come in." a gruff voice responded. Recognizing the captain's voice she opened the door slightly and stuck her head in. "Could I speak to you for a moment captain?" She asked when she saw him steering the wheel. The man nodded his head while keeping his eyes on the sea. It looked as if something was bothering the man. "Um, is something wrong?" She was probably too curious for her own good but the man seemed nice enough.

"There's a storm coming." He pointed out onto the ocean but she saw nothing more than wide open blue skies and a pleasant breeze that had the ship moving along at an even pace. "It's experience kid." She glared lightly at the captain for calling her a kid but didn't say a thing as he continued. "Anyhow what did you want to ask?" She took a deep breath and ignored the little comment. "Well considering the nice dinner last night I was wondering if there was anything I could do on this boat to help repay the favour. After all there must be something to do with half the crew knocked out." After her straight forward question the man began to laugh loudly. Confused she briefly wondered if the man was just confused or even in his right mind. Eventually she settled on temporary confusion after all the man was steering this boat and she'd rather have a sane captain on this trip.

"Thank you young missy, you're an interesting little lad. Yeah ya can help if ya want to, why don't you go up deck and ask for something to do. After yesterday I doubt anyone wouldn't believe me about allowing ya ta help." The man chuckled for a while longer before returning to his usual stoic self. Not really understanding what exactly was so amusing to the man she opted to go out on deck and help around. As the captain had said everyone accepted her help almost immediately, they didn't even doubt she'd gotten permission from the captain.

She mopped the floor, cleaned, learned to tie knots and got to see how you navigate during the day. Marcel even explained to her a bit later how she would be able to navigate at night. All in all she learned quite a bit and got to help out. While doing her 'chores' she noticed several new people on board meaning they'd probably already docked on land for the day. The idea had her a little put off, now she had to wait until at least tomorrow to call Ikuto and the rest. something did catch her eye though as she was working. It seemed that a boy about her age had also come aboard. She was still slightly bigger than he was though. He had spiky black hair and green short with a matching long-sleeved jacket that was entirely zipped up. He seemed to be hanging around an older man who was wearing a suit. Occasionally she'd see the blond boy she'd talked to a few times banter with the old man. The blond boy had also been shooting her curious glances as she cleaned the entire ship together with the crew members. He was the only one in that little group that knew she wasn't an actual crew member, though the other candidates didn't really care much anyway.

After a few more hours of cleaning and learning they were finally done. The captain had announced that everyone had the next few hours off and warned them about the approaching storm. The man himself let Marcel take the helm and went up deck to 'evaluate' the candidates. Though Amu didn't really understand what he meant she assumed that he was involved in the hunter's exam. The captain made his way up deck and Amu went to lean against wall only a slight distance away.

"From now on we will be making our way towards the hunter's exam! Anyone who has a problem with the way I run things here can leave this ship right this instance! If I find you unworthy then you will be kicked out!" One of the candidates mumbled about them being surrounded by water but the captain just scoffed. "And yes we don't care about whether we're on the ocean." With his statement finished the man walked out onto the deck and moved onto the front, higher part of the boat. Amu herself followed him up the stairs intending to sit out in the crow's nest. She didn't get far though as someone called out her name, well not so much name as a description.

"Hey, girl with the pink hair!" She turned around intending to glare at the person calling on her but stopped when she saw it was the blond boy. They had never gotten the chance to introduce themselves. The teen rushed up the stairs before coming to stand next to her halfway up. "Hey, I never got to introduce myself last time. Kurapica." He stuck his hand out in greeting and she reciprocated the action. "Amu." She mumbled in return. The teen smiled before taking back his hand. "I couldn't help but notice you helping on deck. Why are you doing so? I'd assumed you were a candidate." Bingo, Amu had been right about his curious glances. She absently noticed the other members of the crew spending their free time bullying candidates. It seemed they weren't the nicest of people towards those outside of their crew and that she was the exception. "I volunteered to help. Half the crew is incapable right now and thought the captain might want an extra hand." Not elaborating on anything else she turned and continued to walk up the stairs. Footsteps followed behind her as Kurapica too walked up the stairs. He never got to ask for an explanation though as the little boy she'd seen earlier voiced out a thought.

"There is going to be a storm." She whipped around in surprise to stare at the kid. That was exactly what the captain had told her earlier that day. The captain seemed just as surprised when he asked the kid why. "There's a lot of salt in the air and The sea gulls are telling each other so." Despite the odd statement Amu couldn't help but think it true. She couldn't tell the difference though. The captain didn't seem too surprised and instead asked another question. "Boy you came from whale island right? What does your father do?" Father? Why would the man ask about his father when they just met? Amu was confused by the question but the boy didn't think so as he smiled. "He's a hunter! I've only seen him in photo's though, but I respect him the most in this world." The captain lowered his hat and seemed almost nostalgic, for lack of a better word.

"Boy! Tell me the approximate scale of the storm and when we'll come across it." Amu noticed the testing tone of the captains voice. The black haired boy though looked back out over the ocean and sniffed a few times. "The waves are going to be about twice the size of that storm a few days ago and at this speed we'll hit the storm in about three hours." Amu couldn't remember there being a storm but the captain just nodded in understanding. "Alright boy come with me! I'll teach you how to steer a ship and you young missy." She was startled but looked the captain in the eye. The man nodded and moved towards the stairs. "Get Marcel and the others to prepare for the storm." Amu gave the captain a grin and mock saluted before going down the stairs again, this time though Kurapica followed. She didn't mind though she had a question for him anyway. "Ne Kurapica. When was the last storm?" The teen stopped abruptly and looked at her with wide eyes. The captain laughed loudly as he stepped by them, the boy following behind him. Amu turned to glare at him but he didn't seem to care and gave her another scoff.

"Amu-san, last night we had a storm with waves thrice the size of this ship. Don't tell me you didn't notice?" Her eyes widened in surprise as well when he said that, she really hadn't known. Her feelings must have shown on her face as Kurapica sighed. "You hadn't then." The teen shook his head in what seemed to be exasperation but he continued to move down the stairs next to her.

When they finally reached the deck Amu was already searching for Marcel, the red head shouldn't be too hard to find. The red headed man didn't have too many specific features besides his hair but his clothes didn't tend to be in the right state. Often as she had come to notice there were holes of tears in them and they seemed to be older than a few years if the fabric said anything. She didn't need to look for long though as she was suddenly grabbed around the middle. Startled by the sudden touch she reacted in the one way she had learned in the last few years. Immediately entering a Chara change small wings attached itself to her ankles and wrists. With one smooth kick she pushed the perpetrator into the wall behind her and flew onto one of the nets leading to the crow's nest. She was about to send her fiercest glares towards the culprit when she finally saw who had actually tried to grab her.

"Marcel! Oh god I'm sorry." Entirely forgetting to even act the way she usually would she jumped back in one fluid movement and helped the man up. Marcel himself winced once as he stood up before patting the dust off his clothes and stretching his limbs to look for any lasting damage. Upon seeing the guilty look on Amu's face he send her a reassuring smile and gave her a brief pat on the head. "Amu-chan what am I hearing now. Are you actually worried about little old me?" The man made a dramatic gesture with the sentence. She couldn't help but feel annoyed as he dramatically started to talk about how moved he was and how this day couldn't get any better. After a few minutes she had enough and gave him another patented glare. "Shut up, I wasn't worried, that old head of yours is too hard to be damaged by anyone anyway." She said it harshly but the guilt still managed to seep through. Wanting to get away for a bit she threw her nose in the air and took the usual pose. "Anyway the Captain wanted me to tell you to prepare for a storm coming this way. He said the waves would be twice as big compared to the last storm and it would arrive in about three hours." Wanting to reassure the little girl once more Marcel threw her a big smile and a mock salute before yelling at the rest of the crew to prepare. Amu stared after the man before turning to move back inside.

"You do know that logically that wasn't your fault." Kurapica commented from behind her. She nodded slightly but sighed anyway, just because it wasn't her fault didn't mean she didn't feel guilty. The teen seemed to pick up on her silent mood and changed the subject. "Anyway I'm more curious about how you did that just now?" The question itself might have been intended as a diversion or a curiosity of some sort but it was something Amu wasn't comfortable talking about. Or rather explaining about. When she found out that hunters could actually do strange and mysterious things she was happy to know that she could actually use her powers to defend herself. But having to explain something that was still such a sore subject was something she didn't fancy, especially right now.

"I jumped." She deadpanned and gave him her most stoic expression. Considering her reputation as Cool and Spicy that was quite the achievement. Kurapica just stared at her in disbelief and maybe even a bit of annoyance but she didn't let it bother her. Without another glance back she joined up with the crew members inside to prepare the ship for the storm. She could vaguely hear the captain yell at the candidates that this storm was twice the size of the last and that if they didn't want to stay on board they would have to take the emergency boats to the closest island. The amount of people that rushed past her was surprising, each and every one of them they didn't want to go through that again.

Before she could creep past them to go help the rest of the crew she was tapped on the shoulder. This time she didn't react as extremely, being surrounded by a bunch of panicking men had her expecting to be bumped into. As she turned around she came face to face with one of the newer crew members, as Marcel had explained. Kattso was a very jumpy guy and she'd already seen him be picked upon by both candidates and several other crew members. She thought he would grow into his skin though, he just had that vibe that screamed comfortable when he was on the ocean. "Uhm, Captain said you were to come to the steering room after the announcement." She nodded briefly and walked through the halls expertly with Kurapica following behind her. Kattso had given him the same message.

When they arrived in the steering room she saw the captain, the kid and the old man already standing there. Kurapica and her entered the room and she closed the door when he asked her too. "So that just leaves the four of you huh, give me your names first." The captain turned to face time with a professional attitude, well more professional than she had seen him up until now. The little kid stepped forward with a comfortable leap and a big smile. "I'm Gon!" Next was the old man who also took a single step forwards, "Call me Leorio." It seemed they were moving along the line as Kurapica stepped up next with a simple, "My name is Kurapica." It was only after everyone had gone first that she went. "You already know my name." The captain put a hand on the door and leaned up against it slightly before putting a pipe in his mouth. "Yes I do young missy, now why do you guys want to be hunters?" Amu paled slightly at the question. How was she supposed to answer that? 'Hey yeah I'm looking for my Chara's, yeah they're guardian angels of a sort, you probably wouldn't see them.' Sure that would go well.

"Why do you ask such a question are you an interviewer or something?" The old man Leorio retorted in an almost irritated way. The captain wasn't having it though as he blew away some smoke. "Answer me." Leorio seemed to want to argue about that but Gon was first with a more innocent approach. "I want to know what kind of job my father did!" He yelled with his hand raised. Amu could already see that this kid trusted very easily as he bantered with Leorio about just answering a strangers question. The boy couldn't seem to understand why though and Amu almost got a headache from hearing the discussion run around in circles. "Anyhow I won't just answer something like that to a total stranger." Leorio grumbled harshly. It was only then that Kurapica spoke up for the first time since he entered the room with her. "I agree with Leorio." The teen stated honestly. It was when Amu heard Leorio's answer that she felt irritation bubble up within her, she really needed to do something about her temper. "Hey, you, how old are you to be saying my name like that?" It seemed Kurapica agreed with her as he ignored the man and continued on with his reasoning.

"It would very easy to pretend to tell the truth to avoid questions you don't want to answer. However I also think lying is one of the most shameful acts possible." For some reason Leorio was still angry about Kurapica using his name wrong and was yelling out in the background. Everyone ignored him though as he demanded Kurapica show him respect, the idiot. "But for me to disclose my true reasons to someone I just met.. the reason for my wanting to become a hunter is related to a matter that is just too personal. Therefore I cannot answer that question." His reasoning was sound but Amu couldn't help but want to sigh. If she hadn't been on this ship for such a long time she probably wouldn't have figured it out either but she did know and not answering wasn't an option.

"Oh is that so? Then you two must get off this ship immediately." The captain stated it without much interest but she could tell it was bait and those two were hooked when they asked why. "Don't you two get it yet? The hunter qualification exam has already started." So that's what it's called, a qualification exam. Immediately the surroundings got tense as they finally noticed the oddness of the entire situation. Amu could faintly hear rain start to fall down onto the deck above them.

"As you know, there are just too many of you wanting to become hunters. The examiners just don't have enough time or manpower to evaluate all." They all nodded their heads as the captain continued his story. "For that reason people like me are hired to cut down the numbers. The others have already been disqualified even if they find their way to the examination site by an alternative route, they'll be rejected. Basically it's up to me whether or not you'll be allowed to take the actual exam. So don't get fresh with me and answer the damn question." There was a moment of silence where mostly Kurapica and Leorio seemed to make up their minds. Kurapica was first to make a decision though as he stepped forward. "I'm a survivor to the Kuruta tribe." A survivor? Of what? "There's a group of bandits who massacred my tribe four years ago.. I want to become a hunter to capture the Genei Ryodan." Genei ryodan, the phantom troupe, she'd heard that name before but couldn't place it. It wasn't something recent but way back from when she was small. Unable to place it she turned back to the conversation.

"So you want to become a blacklist hunter then? The Genei Ryodan are A-class bounties. Even a veteran hunter would have difficulty.. you'll most likely get killed." Despite the morose subject the teens determination didn't disappear, in fact it only seemed to be strengthened as his eyes reddened again. "I do not fear death, I only fear that this anger may someday disappear."

Revenge huh, she would say that revenge ruins a person but she understood. If Ikuto, Kukai and Utau had really died that day she didn't know what she'd have done to Kazuomi. Even then she had been hard pressed not to kill the man. It had scared her to find out how far she was probably willing to go when it concerned her friends and family. Her eyes darkened at the thought, these last few years of fighting had changed her more than she was willing to admit.

The serious mood was broken as Leorio stepped up to face Kurapica. "So you want revenge, that's something you can do without becoming a hunter." It was stated quite rudely but Kurapica wasn't deterred and only retorted smoothly. "That's quite an ignorant statement, Leorio. There are places you can't enter and information you can't obtain unless you're a hunter. Don't you even know that." It was all said in a very polite way yet once again the words said otherwise. The captain though didn't seem to care for their little squabble and turned to face her.

"So then Amu why are you aiming to be a hunter then?" It was only then that Leorio turned to face her for the first time. "Her a hunter? Isn't she a crew member, why would a crew member be a candidate?" Amu had to stop herself from sighing, the man really needed to think more. "I'm not a crew member." She stated simply, the captain nodded in agreement while Leorio just looked confused. Turning back to the captain she put her emotionless façade back on. "I'm looking for my friends." She kept it as vaguely as possible but the captain wouldn't have it. "Friends?" his eyebrow rose and she knew that he wanted a bit more than that. "About a month ago me and my friends were involved in an incident and four of them disappeared without a trace. I know where they are but I can't reach them without a hunter license." She hoped It was enough and almost glared at the man when he shook his head. "Where are they?" Amu took a deep calming breath and shoved her hands in her pockets. "They are somewhere in the dark continent spread around. I think one of them may even be here on Mobius." For a moment she thought she saw worry in the captains eyes but it was quickly buried by shock while the other three just looked confused.

"Mobius, what the hell is that?" Leorio asked as if she were stupid for assuming he would know. This time it was her turn to be confused, how could they not know what Mobius was when they lived on it? "How ca.." "It's not important right now." The captain glared at her for a bit and she kept quiet, what did she say wrong? "How about you Leorio, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

"Me? I don't wanna be kissing your ass or anything so I'll just be honest." He took a pose and a deep breath. "It's MONEY. If I have money I'll be able to get my hands on everything! A huge mansion! Luxurious cars! The best wine!" he was about to continue when Kurapica said the exact thing Amu had been thinking. "You can't buy character with money Leorio." She swore she heard something snap in Leorio as he turned around to face the blond. "That's three strikes." His face took on a dark quality, "let's take this outside, Kurapica. I will end this filthy bloodline of the Kuruta tribe." Not a moment too soon did Kurapica's eyes turned red and he got a murderous look on his face. "Take that back Leorio." He all but growled out but the old man wouldn't have it and stared back in a demeaning manner. "It's Leorio-san, show some respect." The both of them stalked outside each with a murderous aura directed at the other. The captain watched before realizing what was happening. "HEY! You expect to pass the hunter exam by ignoring me, you punks? Hey! I'm not done talking yet!" He yelled after them. Only then did the boy Gon interfere for the first time since she'd come to know his name.

"Let them be Captain-san." The captain turned towards him with a slightly bewildered look. Amu almost had to laugh at his confused look. The entire time she'd been on board the captain had always kept his cool and yet these guys broke that façade in one day.

"'To know someone is to know what angers him.' It's one of my favourite sayings that aunt Mito taught me. To me, the reasons why those two are angry is very important. So I think it's better just to let them be." The captain considered the thought carefully and Amu had to agree that he had a point. Didn't they always say that the more they fight the better the friends? The captain made his decision as he sighed and turned towards Gon.

"Kid can I ask you to leave for now? I need to talk to young missy here." The boy looked between them for a moments before smiling and leaving the room. "Now then about what you just said about Mobius." Amu nodded in agreement. "Yeah why didn't they know something like that? Why wouldn't you know where you live?" The captain sighed as he pointed to the map. "Missy you do realize that we've left the border zone for a bit more than a week now?" it was only then that Amu realized where she was. The border zone was the area that separated the outer area of the world which in turn connected them to the dark continent. It was very hard to leave or to enter and it was quite isolated compared to the inner world. She flushed a bit as she realized this but still held on stubbornly. "But that doesn't explain why they don't know something as obvious as that!"

The captain shook his head, "No they don't. The inner world isn't as knowledgeable about the working outside of Mobius. It's mostly hunters that have this kind of information otherwise it's kept from the normal folk. The government is afraid to know how humanity will react to knowing that they are like ants compared to the creatures living out there." It was only then that Amu actually realized how odd that belief sounded. She'd grown up knowing what was out there and the danger they were constantly in, to her it was only to be expected that you were grateful for life and each day. For these people it was a strange and scary thought. "Then anything to do with the dark continent is off limits here?" The captain nodded.

Amu was about to ask something else when one of the crew members stormed inside and panicked. "Captain, the storm has arrived way too early!" Without another moment to spare the captain jumped up and ran out the hall leaving Amu there. Not one to be let behind she stood up and followed after him.

After a few minutes of walking she finally reached the door. She immediately remembered what she'd though only hours before. The storm couldn't be that bad? Yeah right. The waves were like six times the size of the boat they were on and she kept bumping her head on the walls because of all the swaying. It's a good thing she didn't get seasick easily but this was totally ridiculous. Even Marcus was finding this a bit too much, she could see him turning slightly green. She couldn't deny that she was starting to feel a bit quasi as well.

The moment she'd hurried outside the storm had already arrived. Each crew member was busy doing their own jobs and securing the boat. While everyone was doing their best in trying to keep the boat afloat Leorio and Kurapica were still having their showdown. It seemed the both of them were really pissed off. Amu swore she could see electricity spark between them. Beside them was Gon who was watching them carefully with the captain. The captain himself though was only partly paying attention to the fight. Half of his concentration was used to bark orders to his crew as they tried to get everything sorted.

After weeks on this ship Amu knew exactly how things were run and that's why she opted to help out instead of watching a fight break out. Reaching into her inner heart she could feel the connection with Miki grow. Warmth spread throughout her entire body and the humpty lock began to shine slightly. She was slightly relieved when it turned out that the weather was too bad for anyone to notice the glow. As the feeling grew she looked to see one of the cables holding the mast snap and hearing yells of warning. The mast began to topple but she wasn't going to let it.

"Drew, draw, drawn." She muttered the words quickly and imagined the brush she had in her character transformation. When it materialized she spun the familiar object around for a bit before splashing the paint onto the deck. "Colourful canvas!" Immediately rope began to form themselves from the paint and began to tie the mast together and back onto its place. The crewmembers who had noticed only stared for a bit in astonishment before thanking her briefly and returning to their stations. She was about to turn around as well to join them in handling the ship when she heard a yell from behind her. Turning around in reflex she tried to pinpoint where the yell had come from before finding its source. Kattso had slipped and fallen of the deck. Amu immediately tried to save him but soon stopped. She didn't to need to for at that exact moment Kurapica, Leorio and Gon jumped after him.

Kurapica and Leorio had apparently thrown aside all intention of fighting and immediately went to save him. They jumped forwards to grab the man by his legs only to miss him by a few inches. It was exactly then that Gon jumped after the man. If Leorio and Kurapica hadn't caught the boy then he would have been a goner as well. Amu shook her head in exasperation. That boy was reckless! But she supposed it was okay, he did safe Kattso after all.

Eventually she reckoned she'd had enough of a break and turned around to help the rest try and get the ship under control. Their fight may have ended but it didn't look like this storm would do so anytime soon.


End file.
